In the age of mass customization, brands are increasingly turning to personalized marketing to stand out from the crowd. One recent campaign that did just that was a collaboration between Toblerone and HP. The campaign used HP's digital printing technology to create 170,000 unique Toblerone bar designs, each featuring a different personality type, background, and icons. The goal of the campaign was to elevate Toblerone's presence in Sainsbury's stores and to create an emotional connection with consumers.

What was it all about?

The Toblerone and HP campaign was a masterclass in personalization. Each of the 170,000 Toblerone bars featured a unique design that was tailored to a specific personality type. The bars also featured different backgrounds and icons that reflected the different personality types. But Toblerone and HP weren't the only pioneers braving the personalized blizzard. 

M&M also made similar collaborations with Spotify where the candy brand incorporated Spotify playlist codes into their packaging. Coca-Cola & Shazam also partnered up to form a similar campaign. It allowed consumers to Shazam any Coca-Cola can to unlock personalized content, from music videos to exclusive discounts. It transformed a simple beverage into a gateway to tailored experiences.

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The "That's So You" campaign by Toblerone and HP wasn't simply a sprinkle of personalization; it was a meticulously crafted cake layered with unique flavors and textures. Let's dissect each delicious segment:

• Personality palate: The campaign's core brilliance lay in its 170,000 unique designs, each meticulously matched to a specific personality type. Imagine vibrant backgrounds splashed across the iconic triangular canvas – the "Adventurer" sporting mountain peaks, the "Foodie" adorned with gourmet ingredients, the "Creative" bursting with artistic strokes. It wasn't just visuals; every personality received its own tailored tagline, making consumers feel like stars in their own chocolatey narratives.
• Beyond the wrapper: Personalization wasn't confined to cardboard. Each bar boasted a QR code, a digital portal unlocking layers of personalized experiences. Scanning it revealed detailed descriptions of your matched personality, humorous quips that resonated with your quirks, and shareable social media content to proclaim your "That's So You" Toblerone to the world.
• Interactive playground: The campaign wasn't a passive parade of personalities; it was an interactive playground. HP's digital printing prowess allowed shoppers to "mix and match" their own personalities online, creating custom designs and sharing them with the hashtag #MyToblerone. This fostered a sense of community, transforming consumers from spectators into co-creators, weaving their personalities into the campaign's tapestry.

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• A taste of adventure: HP's technology wasn't just about aesthetics; it fueled adventure. Some lucky "Explorer" personalities found hidden QR codes on their packaging, unlocking exclusive discounts on travel experiences. This seamlessly intertwined the chocolatey journey with real-world adventures, further blurring the lines between brand and consumer.
• Sweetly sustainable: Sustainability wasn't forgotten amidst the personalization whirlwind. HP's Indigo technology boasted environmentally friendly features, ensuring that the "That's So You" journey didn't leave a bitter aftertaste.

As you can see, "That's So You" wasn't a single sprinkle of personalization; it was a multi-layered, interactive, and even adventurous experience. It redefined the candy aisle, transforming a simple chocolate bar into a personalized portal, a testament to the power of collaboration and the boundless potential of tailored marketing.

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Campaign impact

The "That's So You" campaign's impact wasn't limited to fleeting metrics; it triggered a tectonic shift in consumer expectations and brand strategies. It proved that personalization isn't just a marketing fad; it's a powerful tool for forging genuine connections, boosting brand love, and driving tangible results.

• Sales soar: The campaign didn't just resonate; it resonated with wallets. Toblerone sales saw a 15% increase, a testament to the power of personalized engagement. This translates to millions of additional triangles of chocolate finding their way into happy hands, proving that relevance pays off.
• Social media stampede: The campaign wasn't confined to the supermarket shelves. It sparked a social media wildfire. Consumers embraced their "That's So You" identities, sharing personalized content and spreading the campaign's reach far beyond Sainsbury's aisles. This organic buzz amplified the campaign's impact, proving that personalization fuels word-of-mouth magic.

Also read: Learn How User-Generated Content Boosted These Brands to the Top

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Key takeaways

The "That's So You" campaign by Toblerone and HP wasn't just a delicious victory lap; it was a shared climb to the personalization summit, offering valuable takeaways for both partners. Let's unpack the treasure trove of key learnings:

For Toblerone

• The power of personalization: "That's So You" proved that personalization isn't just a buzzword; it's a potent weapon in driving sales and brand love. By tailoring experiences to individual personalities, Toblerone forged deeper connections with consumers, leaving a lasting taste of brand loyalty.
• Embracing innovation: The campaign showcased the effectiveness of leveraging technology for personalization. HP's digital printing prowess enabled the creation of 170,000 unique designs, demonstrating the scalability and potential of personalized packaging.
• Interactive engagement: "That's So You" wasn't a one-way street; it was a playground of interactivity. QR codes, custom designs, and social media sharing fostered a dialogue with consumers, transforming them from passive recipients into active participants in the brand narrative.
• Data-driven decisions: The campaign's success wasn't accidental; it was fueled by data. Tracking social media engagement, sales figures, and brand sentiment allowed Toblerone to refine the campaign and maximize its impact.

For HP

• Tech as a personalization enabler: "That's So You" showcased HP's digital printing technology as a key driver of personalization. It demonstrated the power of HP Indigo in creating mass customization experiences at scale, opening doors for future collaborations with other brands.
• Expanding reach and impact: The campaign leveraged Toblerone's established brand presence to amplify HP's reach and showcase its personalization capabilities. This win-win partnership broadened HP's audience and solidified its position as a tech leader in the personalization space.
• Collaborative innovation: The success of "That's So You" emphasizes the power of collaboration. By combining HP's tech expertise with Toblerone's brand identity and consumer understanding, the partners created a campaign that exceeded individual limitations and resonated on a grand scale.

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Notable personalized campaigns from 2023

While Toblerone and HP's "That's So You" campaign served up a delicious bite of personalized marketing, 2023 witnessed a veritable buffet of brands crafting bespoke experiences for their customers. Let's delve deeper into some of these notable personalization journeys, showcasing the diverse tactics brands employed to climb the peak of relevance:

From M&M's mix to musical match

Imagine scanning your custom bag of M&M's, not just to satisfy your candy craving, but to unlock a playlist mirroring your unique candy personality. That's precisely what M&M's and Spotify concocted! This playful partnership went beyond personalized recommendations, weaving music and chocolate into a symphony of individual taste. Users weren't just snacking; they were soundtracking their lives with a playlist spun directly from their colorful candy preferences.

Connecting over Coke

Remember the thrill of seeing your name on a childhood birthday cake? Coca-Cola took this nostalgic joy to the next level with its personalized can campaign. This fizzy feat allowed customers to adorn Coke bottles with their names and avatars, transforming a quotidian beverage into a statement piece. Suddenly, sharing a Coke wasn't just about quenching thirst; it was about showcasing a personalized persona, igniting social media with a wave of bubbly self-expression.

Also read: How To Create Insanely Personalized Facebook Ads Using Automation

Nike's sneaker symphony 

For sneaker enthusiasts, shoes are more than footwear; they're an extension of their personal style. Nike understood this pulse and launched a virtual shoe customization platform. This interactive playground empowered users to become co-creators, designing their own sneakers from the ground up – colors, materials, laces, logos – a blank canvas for artistic expression. The line between brand and consumer blurred, fostering a deeper connection through personalized creation.

Spotify's year in review, wrapped in granularity

While Spotify's "Wrapped" campaign has become a ritual of year-end reminiscence, 2023 saw it ascend to a new level of personalization. Users didn't just discover their top artists and genres; they received quirky insights like "most listened to song during breakfast" or "artist you couldn't get enough of at the gym." This granular level of data transformed "Wrapped" from a statistical snapshot into a personalized diary of the year through music, resonating deeply with users and sparking waves of nostalgic joy on social media.

Also read: Hitting All The Right Notes: 5 Valuable Lessons From Spotify's Marketing Strategy

L'oreal's made-to-match foundation

The quest for the perfect foundation shade can often resemble a frustrating treasure hunt. L'Oreal stepped in with their personalized foundation service, utilizing cutting-edge technology to analyze skin tone and undertones, before crafting a custom blend just for you. This data-driven approach to personalization went beyond convenience; it built trust and loyalty by demonstrating L'Oreal's commitment to catering to individual needs, one perfectly matched foundation at a time.

Dove's personalized body-positive messages

In a refreshingly bold move, Dove challenged the beauty industry's narrow standards with a campaign that transcended words and embraced inclusivity through form. Forget generic bottles; Dove's shelves displayed six distinctly shaped body wash containers, each representing a different body type. From petite to curvaceous, tall to slender, every woman saw a reflection of herself, not in a glossy image, but in the sturdy curves and graceful lines of a bottle. The campaign triggered a global conversation, sparking debates, igniting social media campaigns, and generating significant media attention. The hashtags #MyRealBeauty and #NoBodyShapesLeftBehind became rallying cries for women to embrace their individuality. Dove didn't just sell body wash; they sold a message of self-acceptance and love, resonating with women across the world.

Levi's and Snapchat's virtual fitting room

Remember the hassle of trying on clothes in crowded stores? Levi's teamed up with Snapchat to offer a virtual fitting experience right on your phone. Through AR filters, users could see how different jeans and jackets looked on them, eliminating the need for physical try-ons and making shopping more convenient and personalized.

Netflix's interactive black mirror episode

"Bandersnatch," an episode of the dark anthology series Black Mirror, took interactivity to a whole new level. Viewers weren't passive observers; they made choices for the protagonist, shaping the narrative and ending through their remote controls. This personalized storytelling experience blurred the lines between the audience and the actor, leaving a lasting impression on viewers.

Also read: What is Brand Storytelling and Why it Matters

Gillette's shave lab

Razor shopping can be confusing, with countless options promising the perfect shave. Gillette addressed this with their Shave Lab quiz. Customers answered questions about their shaving habits and preferences, and the Lab recommended the ideal razor and blades just for them. This personalized approach eliminated guesswork and ensured a more satisfying shaving experience.

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These are just a few of the innovative personalization campaigns that painted 2023 with the vibrant hues of bespoke experiences. From playful candy-fueled playlists to custom sneakers and data-driven cosmetics, brands embraced the power of tailoring experiences to individual preferences. 2023's personalization playground wasn't limited to one industry or tactic; it was a diverse buffet of strategies, proving that in an age of information overload, relevance is the key ingredient to capturing consumer hearts and minds.

Here’s how brands benefit from personalized campaigns.

• Personalization transcends industries: The magic of bespoke experiences can be sprinkled across any field, from snackable treats to wearable tech.
• Embrace the details: Granular insights and hyper-personalized experiences create deeper connections and resonate more than generic campaigns.
• Collaboration is king: Brands leveraging each other's strengths can craft powerful personalized journeys that surpass individual limitations.
• Data is the fuel: Personalization thrives on insights, and brands that embrace data-driven approaches are more likely to scale their efforts and achieve impactful results.

As we approach 2024, the personalization playbook continues to evolve. What new frontiers will brands explore? How will technology further amplify bespoke experiences? One thing's for sure: the summit of personalization is brimming with innovation, and brands who dare to climb with courage and creativity will find the sweetest rewards awaiting them.

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Conclusion

Personalized marketing soared in 2023, and brands like Toblerone and M&M's reached new heights. When it comes to personalization, most brands rely on creative ops platforms that fuel bespoke experiences, not just manage creatives. So, take Artwork Flow for a spin and unleash personalized experiences that launch your brand to the peak of customer love. Get the demo now!

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